Brain in ajar

B ON E LE S S

Not all animate corpses shamble from their graves. Boneless are undead remains devoid of skeletons. Most rise from the bodies of those who've suffered brutal ends, such as deliberate skinning or crushing. Deathless malice infuses what remains, their husks flopping and slithering in pursuit of vengeance or at the whims of sinister masters. Slipping through cracks and under doors, these stealthy undead seek to adorn living frames once more, wrapping themselves around their victims and wringing them to death i n their full-body grip.

Boneless arise in a variety of forms. While the animate skins of specific creatures are the most common, foul spellcasters might create these horrors from the scraps of failed experiments, necromantic slurries, heaps of discarded hair, abattoirs, and charnel concoctions. These origins don't affect a boneless's statistics but lend it distinct forms.

Whether through accident or depraved genius, some villains use one corpse to create two separate undead. Boneless might adorn the frames of other undead, like skeletons or zombies. The sight of a boneless peeling itself from its independently undead frame haunts the nightmares of many seasoned monster hunters.

Armor Class 1 2 Hit Points 2 6 (4d8 + 8) Speed 3 0 ft.

STR 1 6 (+3)

DEX 14 (+2)

CON 1 5 (+2)

INT 1 (-5)

WIS 10 (+O)

CHA 1 (-5)

Skills Stealth +4 Damage Resistances b l udgeo ning, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened Senses darkvision 60 ft. , passive Perception 1 0 Languages u nderstands the l a nguages i t knew i n life but can't speak Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Compression. The boneless can move through any ope n i n g at least 1 inch wide without squeezing. It can a l so squeeze to fit into a space that a Tiny creature could fit in. Unusual Nature. The boneless doesn't requ i re a i r, food, d ri n k , or s leep.

AC T I O N S Multiattack. The boneless makes two S l a m attacks. I f both attacks hit a Large or s m a ller creature, the creature is grappled (escape DC 1 3) , a n d the boneless can use Crushing E m b race. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. , one target. Hit: 5 ( l d 4 + 3) bl udgeoning damage. Crushing Embrace. The boneless wraps its body around a Large or s m a ller creature grappled by it. While the boneless is attached, the target is bl inded a n d is unable to breathe. The target m ust succeed on a DC 1 3 Strength saving throw at the start of each of the boneless' turns or take 5 ( l d4 + 3) b ludgeoning damage. If something moves the target, the boneless moves with it. The boneless can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, i n c l u d i n g the target, can use its action to try to detach the boneless and fo rce it to m ove into the nearest u noccupied space, doing so with a successful DC 1 3 Strength check. When the boneless dies, i t detaches from any creature it is attached to.